Honouring Canada's LGBTQI2S+ Veterans

by Christine Kinori

Today we honour armed forces members who sadly died in the line of duty and those who continue to serve. Being a veteran is a special calling that demands courage, the heart to serve your country wholeheartedly, commitment, duty, honour, integrity and sacrifice.

Protecting the rights and freedoms of a country is a hard and demanding job and that is why every year on Remembrance day we acknowledge the bravery and sacrifice of those who work relentlessly to serve their country. Among those who we honour today are the LGBTQI2S+ veterans who still chose to serve their country even in the midst of targeted discrimination and other biases.

It is only until recently that some of the intolerant laws that LGBTQI2S+ veterans were subjected to were abolished. Up until 1992, there was what was referred to as the ‘the gay purge.’ This was because of Canadian Forces Administrative Order (CFAO) 19-20 which required any person in the military suspected of being queer to be investigated and dismissed dishonourably from the military. The methods used during these investigations were inhumane and intrusive. The investigators would ask about private sexual practices and humiliate the ‘suspect.’ In the end, the accused gay military was given a two-week psychiatric counselling to cure his/her “abnormal illness.” In the mid-1980s attitudes had softened in the military and persons had to consent to being discharged because of their sexuality. They could refuse but then their careers would be limited.

This from the website, LGBT Purge: The LGBT community has historically been the subject of prosecution and discrimination in the Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP and Federal Public Service. The campaign to identify and purge LGBT Federal Public Servants on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression in the Federal Public Service and military began in the 1950’s and continued for decades.

In 1992, the CFAO-19-20 order was challenged when 2nd Lt Michele Douglas successfully sued the Canadian Armed Forces after being discharged for being a lesbian. After this, the military reinstated positions and removed career restrictions. In October 2016, the House of Commons defence committee voted unanimously to amend the service records of LGBT ex-military members given dishonourable discharges because of their sexual orientation.

Lt Douglas’s legal win paved the way for LGBTQI2S+ people to serve in the Canadian Forces without harassment and discrimination. It seemed like things were beginning to look up for queer veterans and by 1998, the first gay soldier Davin Hoekstra came out publicly. In 2017, the Canadian government offered an official apology and announced that the victims of the gay purge will be compensated. However, discrimination is still one of the biggest hurdles LGBTQI2S+ veterans face today.

Revoking the policy was a great start but it didn’t necessarily stop the discrimination against queer soldier in the Canadian military. There is still a lot of work to be done in order to treat LGBTQI2S+ veterans with the dignity they deserve. According to Karthryn Foss, retired major who transitioned while in the military, there is need to understand exactly what the queer veterans are going through. She says as much as training will help, there has to be the willingness to learn and make the necessary reforms that will accommodate trans soldiers.

Today the Canadian Armed Forces is determined to respect the dignity of all people. Their willingness to update their policies is one of the reasons why Canada is seen as one of the most progressive militaries in the world.

From the Canadian Encyclopedia - In 2015, a group calling itself the We Demand an Apology Network pressed the government to issue an apology for its purge in the public service, RCMP, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and military. In November 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally apologized and the Canadian government agreed to a $145-million settlement. This included $110 million in compensation for civil servants affected by the purge and $15 million for historical reconciliation, education, and memorialization efforts.

So today at 11am, lets stand for two minutes and observe a moment of silence for the heroes and for the victims of the gay purge who for decades were victimized and experienced institutional discrimination because of their gender identity and sexual orientation. They fought two wars simultaneously and came out champions so let's celebrate their determination to serve their country even under such conditions.

The Purge Memorial

Canada is in the middle of a contest between creators artists and architects to design and build a memorial - This LGBTQ2 National Monument will tell the story of generations of LGBTQ2 people in Canada who have been persecuted, marginalized, and dismissed because of who they desire and how they identify. You can be part of the vote and view videos and more on the LGBT Purge website here: https://www.monument.lgbtpurgefund.com/

RESOURCES:

LGBT Purge - http://lgbtpurge.com/

Canada's Cold War Purge - https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-s-cold-war-purge-of-lgbtq-from-the-military

Christine Kinori is a travel freelance writer. “I enjoy meeting new people and experiencing new culture. I believe in equality and I want my daughter to live in a better world.”